Dispensing and measuring apparatus



Dec, 2, 1924.

Filed Feb. 9. 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet I Dec, 2, 1924.

A. J. SYLVESTER msPENsING AND MEASURING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 9, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 /Tz vento):

Hitornqy.

Patented Dec. 2, 1924. i

UNITED .s ,TfaTl-:sl PATENT ICE. Y

' 'ARTHUR J. srvns'rna, 'or' Naw yang, Nr Y nrsrnns'ms AND mEAsUnrNo APPARATUS-.l

' .ippueatiop'mea February 9, 1924. semi No. eeisoj which theA following is a granular sugar, coee, beans and other commodities sold in retail grocerystores.r`

, One of the objects of the invention is to provide a'sanitary, dust-proof, dispensing and measuring apparatus, which:- will save time' in supplying the customer, at the same time giving him an' amount corresponding accura Yely to a given weight. Another object` of the invention is to provide means located within the container per- "mitting adjustments to be made'in the cawith the cover in section.

, a-5 of rig. 4.

lpacity of the container to compensate for variations in the amount of vcontents "due to climatic changes, at the same time 'preservf ing the dust-proof quality of the apparatus. I f f Another object of the invention is to provide means for avoiding clogging of the slots thru which the gates pass and'to provide means for ei'ectively supplying the material to the dijerent compartments.l

With the above and other objects ink view my invention consists in the parts,improve ments and, combinations more fully polnted out hereilieter. y

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 shows in front elevation acomplete unit of the apparatus.

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of thesame,

Figure 3 is a vertical the measuring chamber on line- 3+?, of Flgure 4. v

" Figurel is a yvertical sectional view of the'measdring chamber shown in Fig. 3 on line 4.--4 of Fig. 1.

Figure 57.*is`a transverse section` on line Figure 6 is a transverse section on line f 6-6 of Fig. l, showing thegate closed in full lines and open indotted lines.I

Figure 7\ is a front elevation v,Oi the cornpensating slide.

vin Dispensing and Measuring material, such as rice,.

of the article sectional view of Figure 8 is a side view partlyin seciffionv of p the slide.` w I Figures 9, 10 :and 11 aredetailed views of the adjusting screw forithe compensatmg slide, andv of the dust-proofguard for the middle gate slot.; Y

Figure 12 is a plan view of the gate. Figure 13` is a front elevation showing a series of the containers arranged in Aa rack for 'holding them above vandi-behind l' the counter. i l f A And Figures 14,- and partly` insection, for adjustingthe rack vertically.

Inv the drawings :container comprises 15 illustrate .details j a hopper 1 which is-preferably of glass, so

that the contents may be readily visible and a metallic measuring chamber 2. The hop- 75 per is provided -withva removable cover 3 and may carry any suitable. designation on its face as at 4. The hopper is connected to the4 measuringI chamber by funnel 5, to. Ythe mouth ofv which the measuring chamber 1s secured by means of ka flange 6"orming part of the measuring. chamber, the flange fitting and being pressed into.y a groove` around the mouth of the yunnel,so as to form a sanitaryjoint.

The measuring chamber isy divided into a plurality 'of compartments preferably. Vtwo in number, so kthat each compartmentwill y' lhold for example one half pound of thematerial-being dispensed. The upper-compart- -ment may be cut oifrom the .hopper by means of a gate 10. Thegate is provided with a wing .11,` which, when'the gate is pushed home into the chamber, helps tosupport the-gate at one side by resting upon the wall of the chamber below the slot. A stes 112 is carried `by the gate to vlimit itsinwar motion. Thejcut 0E portion 13 of the.` gate entersa notched recessin the compensating member, this also a'ordinga support.

Thefgate'is pivoted at 14, preferably to the outside of the measuring chamber and is urged inward by a spring 15. c y Y As it ismore usual to sell material l,in pound lots than in half-pounds, means are provided for-closin'g-the middle slot, land leaving its `gate openin the ll'position shown in dottedlines in Figure.`vy These means may be varied. As illustrateihl rovide a guard 16 (see Fig'uresHlO and `11 preferably of semi-circularformmade of felt or similar material and provided with a supporting band 17. Screws may `pass thru screw holes 18 so as to secure the guard to the inside of the casing.

The upper, the mid le and the lower gate are each pivoted on a pin 42O mounted upon the' outside of the casing, the upper and lower gates being provided with springs for closing them as shown and the middle gate being preferably left without a spring so that it may reina/in open when the guard is used for its slot.

Means are provided for directing the material inwardly when filling the compartments and for preventing the material from filling each compartment close to the edge of the slot thru which the gate passes. rlhe space at the top of eaeh compartment immediately adjacent to the wall of the chamber and to' the slot for the gate is thus leftunfilled, the corresponding edge of the top of the pile of material sloping slightly toward the sides. The gate when entering the slot passes thru the free space before striking the pile. This improves the dividing action of the gate and also avoids drag ging material back thru the slot by ythe gate. `sindicated in the drawings, the mouth of the hopper is of smaller diameter than the measuring chamber so as to pile the material away from the inside of the measuring chamber at the top. l also make use of an inwardly projecting circumferential flange 21 to prevent material from reaching the top of the measuring chamber along the inner" edge. The ange is provided with a shoulder or ledge 22, extending inwardly from the wall of the chamber, the inner wall of the flange being shaped as at 23 to guide the material inwardly, and the ledge acting to prevent material from going `beneath it. With the upper compartment the inward guiding is performed by the neck of the hopper.

Meansare provided for compensating for variations in the amount of the contents in each compartment due to the kind or condition of the article to be measured, at the same ltime preserving the dust-proof 'character of the receptacle. As illustrated,

l provide an adjustable bar 24C for the purpose, having an upper and a lower portion and with a slot 24a in the middle, the slot receiving the middle gate. Adjusting means such as screws 25 are vprovided which enter apertures in the wall of the measuring chamber, the screws engaging screw-threaded perforations in the bar. The bar slides in ways 26 so that as the screws are turned, the bar may be adjusted as desired. The bar being encased in a housing or slide chamber within thev casing, the device is dust-proof.

The units of the measuring and distributing devices are made in sets, nine units being shown (see Figure 13), a set being mounted upon a rack 27, which may be minces adjusted vertically toward and from the ceiling block or bracketl 28. 'llhe upper end of the container is preferably provided with a flange 29, so as to rest upon the rack, the units passing thruthe rack openings.

lin the form illustrated, the adjusting means for vertically adjusting the rack comprise arms 30 attached to the rack and arms 31 attached to the ceiling block;w rlihe arms 31 are made in the form of ratchet bars, pawls 32 attached to the rods 30 and spring-pressed by spring 33 into engagement with the ratchet, supporting the rack in its vertically adjusted position. Means such as flexible cords 34 attached to the pawls may be used toL release the pawls when adjusting the racks. i

Having thus described the invention, its operation will be clear. Changes may be made in the construction without departing from the principle of the invention.

What l claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is:

1. A dispensing and measuring apparatus for granular material and the like, comprisingy in combination a transparent, glass hopper with funnely shaped mouth and a cylindrical metallic measuring chamber secured thereto, the .inside of the hopper mouth being smaller than the measuring chamber, the outside of the mouth yof said hopper being `provided with a groove and said chamber carrying a flange integral with the chamber casing and engaging said groove, thereby enabling the hopper and chamber to -be sanitarily connected.-

2. A. dispensing and measuring apparatus for granular material comprising in combination a hopper with funnel shaped -mouth, a cylindrical measuring chamber secured thereto, said chamber provided at its top adjacent to the mouth of thehopper with a circumferential flange extending inwardly of the wall of the chamber, said K chamber having a slot adjacent to and be' neath said flange and carrying a pivoted gate which enters said slot, and separates the material between the hopper and the measuring chamber.

3. A dispensing and measuring apparatus for granular material comprising in combination a hopper, a cylindrical measurino' chamber secured thereto, said chamber belng provided with a plurality of slots and carrying a plurality of gates cooperating l with said slots for -Kdividing the material in the chamber into predetermined amounts, said chamber bein also provided with a plurality of circum erentially inwardly projecting flanges, one above each slotthe inward. projection of the Hanges avoiding access of material to the spaces directly below them.

4:. A dispensing and measuring apparatus for granular material comprising in combititl) nation a hopper, a cylindrical measuring chamber secured thereto, said chamber vbeing provided with three slots and provided with means for carrying three gates, one above the other, cooperating respectively with -said slots, a curved guard for closing the intermediate slot, said guard being composed of flexible material and means for securing said guard to the inside of the measuring chamber so as to fit said slot.

5. A dispensing-and measuring apparatus for granular material comprising in combination a hopper, a cylindrical measuring chamber secured thereto, said chamber pro-` vided with three slots, one above the other, three gates cooperating respectively with said slots, a singlepivot pin carried by the outside of said measuring chamber upon which single pivot pin each of said gates is freely pivoted, spring for the top and bottom gates tendin to close the same, the middle gate being without a spring permitting it to remain open when desired.

6. A dispensing and measuring apparatus for granular material comprising in combination a hopper, a measuring chamber, coaxial with said hopper and secured thereto, said chamber having an enclosing casing, an inwardly projectingfslide-way within the casing, an adjustable bar mounted within the slide-way, means carried by the casin for adjusting the bar, and a pair of cut-o gates cooperatingwitli 'the casing for closing and sealing it, thus permitting com pensation for variations in the amount of the contents at the same time preserving the dust-proof character of the apparatus.

7. A dispensing and measuring apparatus for granular material comprising in combination a cylindrical hopper, a measuring chamber, coaxial with said hopper and secured thereto, said chamber having an enclosing casing, an inwardly projecting slideway within the casing, an adjustable bar mounted within the slide-way, a screw carried by .said casing and passing thru the wall thereof for adjusting said bar, and a pair of cut-off gates cooperating with the casing for closing and sealing it, thus permitting compensation for variations in the amount of the contents at the `same time preserving the dust-proof character of the apparatus.

8. Av dispensing and measuring apparatus for granular material comprising in combivnationya hopper, a measuring chamber securedthereto, said chamber being provided with a gate dividing it into an upper lower measuring compartment and having an enclosing casing, a right-angled slide-way within the casing, an adjustable bar mount'f andl ed within and fitting the slide-Way, said bar i being slotted to receivethe said gate when closed. j v ,p

9. A dispensing and measuring apparatus for granular material comprising 1n combiy nation a hopper, a coaxial measuring chamber secured thereto, said chamber having an enclosing casing and being sub-divided into an upper and a lower measuring compartment, a slide-way within the casing and an adjustable bar mounted within the sliden way, a pair of adjusting screws passing thru the casing into the upper and lower portion respectively of said bar, and a pair of cutoff gates, one above and `the other below the said bar, thus permitting compensation for variations in the amount of the contents atl the same time preerving the dust-proof char-r` acter of the apparatus.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

ARTHUR J. SYLVESTER. 

